This might be a little hopeful, considering that the Brazil forum doesnt appear to be especially lively at the moment, but its worth a shot!

Im arriving in Rio de Janeiro very soon, and will shortly begin the inevitably drawn-out process of job hunting whilst on the spot. I thought it would be nice to find out if theres anything of an existing social scene for English teachers in city (or failing that, to have a go at creating one!). As a newcomer to the Cidade Marvelosa it would be great to meet some like-minded individuals to share some spare time/ideas/alcohol with!

Anyway, Im a twenty-something guy from London with an interest in most things, and it would be great to hear from you if you're out there!

Welcome to Rio, I'm sure you are probably loving it already. I am definitely still here and will be intending to stay for quite some time yet. It would be fun to meet up- send me a private message or something and Im sure we can arrange something.

Monday and Wednesday evenings arent good for me as I teach early the following mornings, but Im pretty flexible otherwise!

Hi guys, how have you found it getting teaching work in Rio? I am flying out in a few months to do the same. would be v.interested to know of ur experiences! would also like to come for a beer once im there as won't know anyone either - scary!! have fun! xx

Im sure you've done a lot of reading about finding work in Brazil like I did before I left London. It doesnt work like Asia or otherplaces where you can get everything arranged in advance, so it is a big step into the unknown.

That said, it is definitely possible to find work here. English teaching is a massive business, and native speakers are a certainly sought after commodity. The visa issues that you've probably heard of are certainly true, but there are ways around the system and it is possible to work for cash (as I currently am).

Some people say thats its difficult to find work here, but in my opinion you dont get anything in life without a bit of effort. You will need to spend a bit of time knocking on doors and putting yourself around, and a little luck certainly helps, but finding work is definitely possible.

A good TEFL qualification will improve your chances, and experience is certainly a bonus. If you are able to speak portuguese you will find life more comfortable also. I think your personal qualities are also among the most important- if you can show people that you are reliable, presentable, well-spoken and professional in the time it takes you to drop off a cv and have a quick chat with whoever's there, they will be more inclined to call you back over another candidate.

If I use myself as a case study, I arrived in mid January (which I had read on here, and other places, was the 'dead' season). I had a recently acquired CELTA qualification, but no real experience, and I do not speak portuguese. After a week to acclimatise, I spent just under 2 weeks stomping around town handing out CVs pretty much anywhere I could. I got my first job offer after this time (working for an agency teaching 1-to-1 lessons), and things have slowly grown from there. Ive now been here for about 6 weeks altogether, and I have more job prospects in the pipeline (people calling me back etc etc), and business is set to improve after carnaval.

What kind of experience/ qualification do you have? And where are you thinking of going, sticking to Rio or elsewhere? You'll be more than welcome to come for a drink whenever it is you turn up

I know things are sometimes a little quiet on this forum, and Im hardly a battle-hardened tefler in the scale of things, but if you have any questions just let me know and I'll try to help.

Hey! Thanks for all the infor - v.useful! Nice to hear a success story too, sounds like u've sorted stuff out pretty quick which is excellent. I've got a TEFL qual and had some experience though haven't used it in a while so will be a bit rusty i think! Portuguese progressing SLOW!! I keep meaning to learn but it's hard and i am lazy with lanuages... Planning to stay in Rio i think, for as long as it will have me. Where abouts are you staying? Is it hard to find a room if ur a forgeiner? Have you met many other people out there teaching English? Carnival soon - amazing!!!!!!! Wish i was there already! xx

Hi again, apologies for the late reply- Carnaval came along and everything got kinda crazy. Five days of non stop partying but bloody hell, it was an experience!

Yeah, when you're learning Portuguese it can be tough to stick at it, but it will be worth it in the long run if you can put aside some time for it. This is very hypocritical of me of course as I am equally lazy. After teaching English in the daytime the last thing I feel like doing in the evening is more language lessons, but the benefits are obivous.

Finding accommodation for example would be SO much easier if I could converse in portuguese. Actually locating the vacancies is fairly easy (there are plenty of websites etc) but arranging viewings etc can be much harder with the language barrier. This is a perfect example of what I meant when I said life will be more comfortable for you if you know the language! That said it is still possible.

Im living in a flat in Copacabana at the moment with two other language teachers. I found out about it through word of mouth, which isnt uncommon. It was a temporary solution to get me through the carnaval period, but now the tourists are leaving I'll be looking for something a little more comfortable. Im also planning to stay for the long term (around a year, tourist visa be damned, the police dont care anyway), but Id like to return for the 2012 Oylmpics so we'll see next year maybe.

Yes, I have met many other people teaching English. It started by coincidence meeting another teacher at the hostel I was staying in initially, and grew from there. I now have a small group of friends here that are all teachers, and Im sure you'll find that meeting people in our game isnt difficult.

I noticed this forum isn't that active and I've just arrived in Rio myself. I've started knocking on doors at some language schools this week but without a work visa, that's a non-starter. To share your expression when you first arrived ... it would be great to meet some like-minded individuals to share some spare time/ideas/alcohol with! If you're still in Rio, I'd love to meet up.

Yeah, you're right that without a work visa none of the big chain schools that you see all over the place will employ you (unless they are really desperate, which isnt usually the case). My advice is to keep plugging away with the personal calls and try to aim for the smaller independent companies to get the ball rolling.

Personally I was away from the city for the last week (I saved enough to go on a short holiday, lucky me!) but if youd like to meet sometime Im always happy to pass on what I can!

Welcome to Rio, Im sure you're loving it here already! Unfortunately Im a little busy this week, but maybe we can sort something out for the future.

Congratulations on getting some accommodation sorted, it isnt easy this time of year, and doubly so when you dont know much portuguese! Im also about to move into a different room. Out of curiousity, and only if you dont mind sharing the info- how much is the rent for your new place in Santa Teresa?

Anyway, best of luck with it all, maybe we can sort out a beer sometime soon.